A leading TV writer, producer and director who segued to feature directing with "Jack the Bear" (1993), Marshall Herskovitz began his career as a writer on the TV series "Family," "The White Shadow" and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." He went on to collaborate with fellow AFI alumnus Edward Zwick on "Special Bulletin" (NBC, 1983), a critically-esteemed, TV-movie about nuclear terrorism which garnered him his first two Emmy awards. In 1985, Herskovitz and Zwick formed the Bedford Falls Company. Their first project under the banner was the polished yuppie-angst drama "thirtysomething" (ABC, 1987-91). The two subsequent series produced by the Bedford Falls Company, My So-Called Life" (ABC, 1994-95) and "Relativity" (ABC, 1996-97), both received critical kudos and found a fiercely loyal, albeit small, audience. Herskovitz returned to the big screen with the period romance "Dangerous Beauty" (1998), starring Catherine McCormack and Rufus Sewell.

A leading TV writer, producer and director who segued to feature directing with "Jack the Bear" (1993), Marshall Herskovitz began his career as a writer on the TV series "Family," "The White Shadow" and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." He went on to collaborate with fellow AFI alumnus Edward Zwick on "Special Bulletin" (NBC, 1983), a critically-esteemed, TV-movie about nuclear terrorism which garnered him his first two Emmy awards. In 1985, Herskovitz and Zwick formed the Bedford Falls Company. Their first project under the banner was the polished yuppie-angst drama "thirtysomething" (ABC, 1987-91). The two subsequent series produced by the Bedford Falls Company, My So-Called Life" (ABC, 1994-95) and "Relativity" (ABC, 1996-97), both received critical kudos and found a fiercely loyal, albeit small, audience. Herskovitz returned to the big screen with the period romance "Dangerous Beauty" (1998), starring Catherine McCormack and Rufus Sewell.

Executived produced the critically-acclaimed but low-rated cult series "My So-Called Life" (ABC)

:

Signed deal with ABC to create three new series, including one that would star Bob Saget

1975:

Accepted to AFI on the basis of "In Footsteps"

1987:

Co-creator, writer, co-executive producer and occasional director on the series "thirtysomething"; produced under Bedford Falls banner

2000:

Served as one of the producers of the acclaimed film "Traffic"; earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination

1999:

With Zwick, returned to series TV as creators and executive producers of the drama series "Once and Again" (ABC)

1975:

Wrote and directed first short-film, "In Footsteps"

:

Wrote episodes for the TV series "Family", "The White Shadow" and "Seven Bride for Seven Brothers"

1989:

Co-executive producer on the NBC series "Dream Street"

1978:

Directed first feature-length film while at AFI, "Cambridge Nights"

1985:

Formed the Bedford Falls Company with Zwick

:

Met Edward Zwick while attending AFI

1983:

TV-movie producing and screenwriting debut, "Special Bulletin"

:

Was executive producer of "Relativity" (ABC)

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Education

AFI Conservatory:
Los Angeles, California -

Brandeis University:
Waltham, Massachusetts -

Center For Advanced Film Studies, American Film Institute:
- 1975

Notes

"I have always wanted to do period films. It's been my greatest desire as a filmmaker." --Marshall Hersokivitz quoted in LOS ANGELES TIMES, February 19, 1998

"The film business is a terrible, soul-killing business. It is constructed to destroy your passion. Every time you make a movie, you go through the experience at least five times during the process of ahving the movie feel like it's being taken away from you. . . . Television is musch more immediate. Ed [Zwick] and I have always had complete creative freedom. . . . We follow our own instincts. We make our own mistakes and also have our own triumphs and feel so much more respected and in some way complete as creators in television because we can do what we want. But there isn't enough money and there isn't enough time and especially in series television you are trying to create 22 stories a year, and that's impossible to do really well." --Herskovitz in LOS ANGELES TIMES, February 19, 1998